On Thursday, February 12, 2026, Bangladesh will be entering the polls in what is considered to be the world’s first “Gen Z-inspired” election. In charge of the interim government led by the Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the vote represents a clear turning point in the country’s political landscape after the ouster of the Awami League.
Dates & Timeline for Key Election
The Election Commission has set a detailed schedule to guarantee an open and transparent transfer of power:
- End of Campaign: February 10, 2026 (7:30 p.m.)
- Voting Day (Polling): February 12, 2026
- Postal Voting: Ends on February 12, 2026
- Unofficial Results: Expected late at night on Feb. 12th, 2026
- Official Gazette Results: Expected by February 13, 2026
Voting Time and Infrastructure
To ensure that turnout was high and the national referendum was held at the same time, the Bangladesh Election Commission (BEC) has extended the hours of voting:
- Poll Time: 7:30 AM-4:30 PM (9 hours)
- Polling station: Over 42,766 permanent stations nationwide.
- Voting Two: Voters will vote in white for their local Member of Parliament (300 seats) and in pink for the National Charter Referendum in July (a vote of "Yes/No" for constitutional reform).
Registered Voters: The Numbers
With one of the world’s youngest electorates, the 2026 voter list represents a huge spike in participation:
- Out of the total Registered Voters: ~127.7 Million.
- Gender Breakdown: 64.8 million men, 62.8 million women and 1,232 third-gender voters.
- Youth Power: Voters aged 18–37 - 44% of voters.
- Expat Inclusion: For the first time, some 767,000 overseas Bangladeshis are able to vote with a postal ballot.
Main Candidates & Coalitions
With the Awami League barred from electioneering, the race is essentially a back-and-forth between two huge blocs:
- BNP-Run Coalition: Headed by Tarique Rahman, recently returned from 17 years in exile. They are agitating on economic revival and anti-corruption.
- 11-Party Alliance: Shafiqur Rahman (Jamaat-e-Islami) and Nahid Islam (National Citizen Party) Leaders. This alliance connects conventional religious politics with student-powered reformist movements.
If you are working with them, when can you announce outcomes?
Counting starts right after the polls close at 4:30 P.M., on February 12. While provisional outcomes for some constituencies will pour into the news outlets all night long, the election commission is expected to determine the official consolidated results Friday, February 13, 2026.
